Support for gun control slips in new poll

A new poll shows that nationwide support for gun control measures is slipping after months of renewed calls for legislative action in response to a mass shooting in Parkland, Fla.

Support for moderate to strong restrictions or regulations on firearms stood at 69 percent in May, according to a new Reuters/Ipsos poll, down 6 percentage points from March. 

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The recent decline in support for gun control mirrors past public behavior after mass-casualty shootings, Reuters noted. It compared the latest numbers to those after the Sandy Hook Elementary School shooting in 2012. Support for gun control rose by 11 points, to 70 percent, shortly after the shooting but fell below its original level just three months later. 

Support for stricter measures has gradually increased over the years, with total support rising nearly 10 percentage points, from the high 50s to high 60s, since 2012, Reuters found. 

The latest survey was conducted before the last week’s shooting in Santa Fe, Texas, where an armed teenager allegedly killed nine students and a teacher. The mass shooting has again prompted calls for legislative action to reduce violent gun crimes.  

The Reuters poll surveyed 3,458 adults between May 5 and May 17. Its credibility interval is “about 2 percentage points,” according to the Reuters report about the poll.